Bathtub liner



March 16, 1954 R. J. STERLING BATHTUB LINER Filed July 14, 1950 INVENTOR. RAYMOND J. STERLING ATTORNEY ?atented Mar. 16, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BATHTUB LINER Raymond J. Sterling, near La Habra, Calif.

Application July 14, 1950, Serial No. 173,736

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates generally to protective liners, and more particularly to bathtub liners used to protect the smooth, highly glazed surfaces of expensive bathtubs, during the construction of a home or the like.

The conventional bathtub liners normally used for protecting the smooth, highly glazed surfaces of bathtubs during building operations are made of newspapers or the like. In using material of this type it must be pasted to the entire surface and of necessity for protection, a number of layers must be applied, all of which must be pasted together so that the liner retains its shape. Further, because of the frailty of this type of material, many times plaster of Paris is applied. It is apparent that this type of bathtub liner requires considerable time to apply as well as remove, which makes it very expensive, and since such protection is only a makeshift procedure, there is always danger of damaging the smooth glazed surfaces during building operations or when removing the liner.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new improved bathtub liner having a sturdy laminated construction which will afford ample protection even from fairly heavy falling objects, and will retain its shape when placed over the glazed surfaces of the bathtub.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved bathtub liner which is of sturdy moisture-proof construction insuring the protection of the glazed surfaces without applying any other type of protective material.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved bathtub liner having few parts which may be formed to fit the-contour of the glazed surfaces and can be installed in a comparatively short time.

A. further object of the present invention is to provide an improved bathtub liner which may be used to line a bathtub of any of the different lengths in which bathtubs are commonly supplied.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a bathtub liner which may be installed and held together and in place by applying masking tape over the exposed edges of the liner; making it possible to quickly and easily remove the liner in one piece without any danger of damaging the smooth glazed surfaces of the bathtub.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of the preferred form of my invention which is illustrated in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the specification It is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the showing made by the said drawings and description, as I may adopt variations of the preferred form within the scope of my invention as set forth in the claim.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a liner incorporating the principles of the present invention installed in a bathtub. r

Figure 2 is a transverse, vertical sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1. a

Figure 3 is a fragmentary, longitudinal, vertical sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a perspective view partly in-section showing the assembled liner as it may be removed from the bathtub.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the laminated construction of the liner with reinforcing strings.

Referring now more particularly to Figure 1 of the drawing, the assembled liner generally indicated as numeral I, is shown installed in a bathtub 2. The bathtub 2 is shown as having side walls 3 and 4, a bottom 5, a back flange 6, a front upper flange I extending downwardly to form a skirt 8, and end walls 9. The complete liner I is made of laminated material hereinafter to be described and comprises a bottom section I0, and right-hand and left-hand end sections II and I2 respectively. The end sections II and I2 are constructed to telescopetogether, thus making it possible to use the same liner in bathtubs of different lengths.

The end sections II and I2 are identical in construction, and referring to Figures 1 and .2, the end sections are shown as having side walls I4 and I5 and end walls I6 formed from one piece of laminated material. The side wall I4 is provided with a flange H which is placed on the flange 6 of the bathtub 2. The side wall I5 terminates in a flange I8 which overlaps and is cemented to a flange I9 provided on the upper edge.

of an outer apron 20 which extends downwardly to the floor line to protect the outer surface of the skirt 8 of the bathtub 2. As an added protection for the upper surface of the front flange B of the bathtub 2, a corrugated strip 2| is secured to the underside of the flange I9 as shown in Figures 2 and 4.

There is means provided to make it possible to shape the liner I to conform with the rounded end walls of the bathtub 2, and said means comprises a flange 22 formed on the upper edge of each of the end walls I6. The flange 22 is notched to provide small flaps 23. These small flaps 23 are cemented to the upper side of a reinforcing strip 24 which extends across the end flanges of the bathtub 2, Figure 1, and which is provided with ends 25 and 26 arranged to extend beyond the notched portion of the flange 22. The end 25 is cemented to the under side of flange I1 and the end 26 is cemented in place between the flange l8 of the side wall 15 and the flange 19 of the apron 20, as shown in Figure 1.

Since this bathtub liner is held in place to protect the glazed surface of bathtubs by applying masking tape 21 only on the edges thereof, it is desirable that the device be constructed so that in addition to being moisture-proof, it will also hold its shape and will not tear easily.

As previously mentioned, the liner is constructed of laminated material, this construction being shown in Figure 5, and comprises an upper layer of paper 29 and a lower layer of paper 3%. Interposed between the two layers of paper 29 and 30 are strong cords or threads}! which are laid in criss-cross relation and extend to the outer edges of the sheet. The two sheets 29 and 30 and the cords 3| are all bonded together by means of a coating of asphalt which is applied between or on the inner surfaces of the sheets 29 and 30 which are pressed together under pressure. In the present instance the liner material is constructed, with a ratio of 30 lbs. of kraft paper, 90 lbs. asphalt.,an,d 30 lbs. of kraft paper with reinforcing cords between the two layers of paper per ream of the stock from which the liners are formed. It will be apparent, that this construction makes possible the provision of a bathtub liner whichwill be strong and moistureproof.

In use, when a new home is being constructed, the bathtub must be installed before the plaster is applied. To insure that the highly glazed surfaces of the bathtub will not be damaged while the structure is being finished, the improved liner, described above, may be installed. When installing the liner I, the bottom section or panel [0, which is wider than the bottom of the bathtub 2, is pressed into place so that it covers the bottom 5 and extends upwardly along the side walls 3 and 4 and end walls 9 as shown in Figures l, 2 and 3. After the bottom section In is in place, the right-hand and left-hand sections 1-! and I2 are installed in telescoped relation. as shown in Figure 1, so that the side walls M and and end wall 16 of the liner I will overlap the bottom section if! in the manner shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3. After the bottom 10 and, end sections I! and I2 have been installed to completely cover the smooth glazed surfaces of the bathtub, they may be held in place by applying masking tape over all of the edges of the liner, where it engages the bathtub as well as where the three sections 10, H and I2 overlap each other. It will be apparent that this improved liner may be easily installed in a very short time. The glazed surfaces are protected from falling Iii tools, chunks of plaster, and the like, and may be quickly removed. When the home is completed, the tape along the outer edges of the liner I is pulled loose and the complete liner may be lifted from the tub in the assembled condition as shown in Figure 4.

While there has been described what is at present considered a preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the invention, and it is, therefore, aimed in the appended claim to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

A protective bathtub liner of the character described, comprising a bottom panel adapted to cover the bottom of a bathtub, right and left hand end sections, each having side walls and an end wall receivable withinv said tub with the lower edges of said side and end walls in overlapping relation withsaid bottom panel and with the ends of said side walls remote from their respectively associated end walls overlapping, telescopic relation with the corresponding ends of the side walls of the other of said end sections, a flange flaring outwardly from the upper edge of said side and end walls of each of said sections, said flange of each of said sections mer ing with the upper edges of its associated side walls and being notched throughout the extent thereof which is associated with the upper edge of its associated end wall whereby said flange is divided into tabs adapted to lie substantially fiat over that portion of the top of a tub which ex- ;ends horizontally outward from a curved end thereof and thereby suspend the associated portion of said liners end section, a flat reinforcing strip having a curved edge substantially corresponding to the curvature of said tubs curved end, said tabs extending past said curved edge and being secured to said reinforcing strip, an outer apron carried by each of said sections and substantially coinciding in length therewith, a flange on the upper edge of each of said outer aprons and secured to said flange of the associated one of said end sections to suspend its associated apron in position hanging down in front of the front skirt of said bathtub, and a protective strip disposed below said apron flange of each of said sections.

RAYMOND J. STERLlNG.

References Cited in the file .of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,571,335 Jarvis Feb. 2, 1926 1,579,530 Heller et al Apr. 6, 1926 1,686,560 I-Iowlett Oct. 9, 1928 2,319,603 Henry May 18, 1943 

